When do you chamber a round?

JerryBobCo

It seems like in every hunting show I watch on TV, the shooter doesn't chamber a round until he/she is ready to shoot. I chamber one as soon as I legally can, just in case I need to make a snap shot. Of course, I keep the gun's safety in the safe position, and am very careful as to where the barrel is pointing.

What about you?

Zee

I guess it depends on the type of hunting I'm doing. If we are strictly talking bolt guns, I do not use the manual safety on them. The chamber is either empty and bolt down, loaded and bolt up, or loaded and bolt down with my finger ready to shoot.

So, to and from a stand in open country or stalking/glassine in open country.........it's likely chamber empty/bolt down. If I am in a stationary location, chamber loaded/bolt up.

If I'm stalking dense brush, it's likely chamber loaded/bolt up.

Teach

About 10 feet after I step out the front door. I've seen deer between the house and the barn on many occasions.
Jerry

BigDanS

Tree stand - ready to go but safety on.

D

Buffco

Chambered as soon as I get out of the truck, like Jerry. I hunt alone. Only one I've got to look out for is myself.

DurangoKid

We have no laws regarding loaded firearms in transportation or other wise. I load depending on what type of hunting or shooting I am doing at the time.

KSU Firefighter

Put me in the "Chambered after exiting the truck" crowd.

orchidman

When hunting by myself the chamber is loaded with the safety on. (Bolt gun)
When hunting in close proximity to others or with someone else I have either a round chambered with the bolt up/ empty chamber with the bolt open or have the bolt closed on an empty chamber depending on circumstances.

NN

Before I step out of the boat.

Six-Gun

JerryBobCo wrote: »

It seems like in every hunting show I watch on TV, the shooter doesn't chamber a round until he/she is ready to shoot. I chamber one as soon as I legally can, just in case I need to make a snap shot. Of course, I keep the gun's safety in the safe position, and am very careful as to where the barrel is pointing.

What about you?

I'm pretty much the same: loaded with a round in the chamber, safety on, the moment I am legally able. When I bird hunt, the safety is off the entire time the dogs are working with a cognizant thought to flicking it on if I trip or otherwise feel myself going down. I've tried to hunt safety on until the shot bird hunting and it becomes practically infeasible when so many of your shots are going to happen in snap shoot circumstances.

Ernie Bishop

Depends on the weapon and how I am hunting.

CHIRO1989

Gun loaded, safety on once I can hunt and shoot.

Rim Phyr

Why have a gun afield if it is not ready to shoot?

gator

Depends on what I'm hunting, Yotes, not till I've got the call set up and I'm in my spot. Deer, Javalina and Quail, as soon as I'm able. Dove not till I'm in my spot.

gator

Rim Phyr wrote: »

Why have a gun afield if it is not ready to shoot?

The gun in my hands or slung on my shoulder may not be ready to shoot but the one on my hip or in a chest holster is...

Razorbacker

Depends, bolt rifle for big game, chamber loaded, safety on with thumb on safety, finger along side trigger guard,

Shotgun for birds, chamber loaded, finger/thumb on safety.

Edit: to be clear on the shotgun thing, the safety is on.

Another edit: for my style of hunting I wish all long guns had tang safeties.

MileHighShooter

My favorite area to hunt, I have to get out of the truck and cross (re: jump) across a stream and then get through some alders. So I'll put 4 down, empty chamber. Once I get beyond the brush, I'll put one in the chamber. I've seen elk right in the opening of that valley, been caught with my pants down once there waiting to load one into the chamber until I'm deeper in.

Varmintmist

Depends.

If its a flintlock, the chamber is loaded AM in the man cave on the first day and stays there till Sunday or after a real bad rain. I take the bluejay feather out of the vent and prime the pan outside of the door/truck, and brush the pan and insert the feather before I open the door to get in or come in.

Cartridge rifle, in the chamber for the walk in. If I go treestand, it gets unloaded and hauled up, then reloaded. Varmints, when the mood strikes me, but mostly when I start to walk in.

bisley

I usually deer hunt (alone) from a box, and I usually drive to the gate, unload my Mule and drive it to its hideout spot, then walk the rest of the way to my blind. So, typically, I fully load my rifle at home, with one in the chamber, safety on. When I take the rifle out of my truck, I'm 'hunting.' When I climb up into my blind, the rifle is slung across my back, and I re-check everything when I get settled in the blind. The exception is when I carry it in the soft case, in which case I load it when I take it out of the case, and unload it when I return it to the case.

With a shotgun (bird hunting), it is fully loaded when I get in my pick-up, safety on and the rifle upright beside me, with the barrel down.

BigDanS

I might add that when hog hunting early in the morning walking to the blind in near darkness, my rifle is not chambered and is slung over my back. I walk into the stand with my g20 in my right hand ready to go and my light in my left. I've yet to jump a pig on the way in, but up close I think my 10mm would be a faster option.

D

shootbrownelk

KSU Firefighter wrote: »

Put me in the "Chambered after exiting the truck" crowd.

+1, Chamber loaded as soon as I'm out of the truck or UTV.

DurangoKid

Like your post on "Flinters".

justin10mm

Guns that I am actively using are always loaded with safety on. The first row in the safe stay loaded in case I need something fast. Have killed several hogs and coyotes right out the front door.

pardog

Chamber is loaded and safety on as soon as I am legally able. As soon as I get out of the truck, or off the ATV. I will unchamber the round if I'm climbing up steep or unsteady terrain.

Jayhawker

Six-Gun wrote: »

I'm pretty much the same: loaded with a round in the chamber, safety on, the moment I am legally able. When I bird hunt, the safety is off the entire time the dogs are working with a cognizant thought to flicking it on if I trip or otherwise feel myself going down. I've tried to hunt safety on until the shot bird hunting and it becomes practically infeasible when so many of your shots are going to happen in snap shoot circumstances.

It's really OK to let them get out a bit before you blast 'em... Except Chukars....My Dad hunted birds with his double broken over his arm with the chambers loaded...HIS Dad hunted birds with his hammer double broken over his arm, chambers loaded and hammers cocked....Only after birds were in the air did the guns get closed.....

USUFB

I load the mag of my rifle, but leave the chamber empty. Once I've climbed up into the blind and sat down, I'll chamber a round. G20 in a hip or Model 29 in a shoulder holster is loaded before I leave the cabin.

I feel this is the best option for me. If I happen upon something while walking out, the handgun will probably be faster up close. If deer or hog is far enough away to make the rifle a better choice, I should have time to chamber a round anyway.

bisley

BigDanS wrote: »

I might add that when hog hunting early in the morning walking to the blind in near darkness, my rifle is not chambered and is slung over my back. I walk into the stand with my g20 in my right hand ready to go and my light in my left. I've yet to jump a pig on the way in, but up close I think my 10mm would be a faster option.

D

I walk to my blind in total darkness, with my rifle slung, and the G20 in an across the chest holster. I use a 'cap light' that is bright enough for shooting at 10-15 yards, and that's about right, because the only thing I'm gonna shoot at in the dark is something that is threatening me. I have thought about mounting my Burris Fast-Fire on top of my 7mm-08 AR, and eliminating the need for the G20, but it looks a little bit 'tacticool' and I'm really not into that. Still, I may try it, just because it would be so much more effective than a pistol, if I ever did need it. Using a conventionally scoped rifle in the dark for quick, close shots is not an option for me.

Riflemann

Mag loaded while walking or rideing ATV to my stand, than chamber a round and top off mag. 357 on my hip is always full 24/7/365.

snake284

It depends on the firearm. I really don't care if I'm alone or with someone. My level of safety is the same because I practice the same thing everytime. If I'm toting one of my Mausers or my Model 70, I have a round in the chamber when I get out of the vehicle and walk toward the blind. If I'm toting one of my Remingtons or any other rifle that the safety only blocks the sear, I have the chamber empty with 4 rounds in the magazine and only bolt one into the chamber when we or I sit down in the blind. If you drop a Mauser or a Model 70, or any rifle that has a safety that blocks the firing pin from falling, dropping it won't set it off. But one where the safety only blocks the trigger, well I don't like to take a chance with it. And when I have my .357 strapped on my hip, it's ready to draw and fire.

shooter

Since I mostly hunt around home, I'm loaded before I'm out of the yard. The exception is deer season, early morning. I can't have a loaded gun until after legal shooting hours.
Hence, the hike to my deer stand, gun is unloaded. Once on stand and it's legal, I load up & hunt. In the afternoon, the hike to the stand is with a loaded gun & the walk back has
it unloaded again.

NN

I'm going to go chamber 6 rnds right now then wait for it to get above freezing